BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday claimed that the Supreme Court, while hearing Tamil Nadu’s plea for release of Cauvery water on Thursday, had stated that let TN take its share of water and allow Karnataka to implement reservoir projects on its territory.
“So, the Centre should now give permission to Karnataka to implement the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, which is the only solution to the Cauvery issue,” he told reporters here.
He said, “We have to release TN’s share of water as per the court’s order. Even during yesterday’s (Thursday) hearing, the court stated that while you (TN) will get your share of water, allow Karnataka to build dams on its territory. Why are you interfering in this matter?” The court suggested that the issue be resolved at the lower level, he added.
“Keeping this issue in mind, our BJP friends should pressure the Union Government led by their party to grant approval for the Mekedatu project,” Shivakumar said. Stating that when BJP was ruling the State, the then PM Manmohan Singh convened a meeting of the Cauvery Authority to discuss the issue, Shivakumar said, “We are ready to go to New Delhi now. Let the Union Government convene a meeting.”
The court rejected the petitions of both States and farmers and made it clear that it will not interfere with the order of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA). This has forced Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water daily to TN till September 27.
He said such a situation prevailed during the rule of BJP and JDS in the State. “Even then, the State released water to TN. We have a record wherein the BJP government had filed an affidavit before the SC stating that it will release 10,000 cusecs of water to TN. However, BJP’s Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai are now opposing the State Government’s move. “I don’t want to do politics at this juncture,” he said. Shivakumar appealed to various Kannada and farmers’ organisations not to go ahead with Sunday’s Mandya bandh.